With 14 members voting in favour and Russia abstaining, the Council extended until the end of December 2014 the terms of 17 permanent and ad litem judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

 

The judges are all members of the Trial Chambers and the Appeals Chamber and have until 31 December 2014 or until the completion of the cases to which they are assigned, if sooner.

 

The Council also requested that the ICTY, which marked its 20th anniversary earlier this year, takes “all possible measures to complete its work as expeditiously as possible with the aim to facilitate the closure of the Tribunal” by 31 December 2014, as requested in resolution 1966 (2010).

 

Briefing the Council earlier this month, Judge Theodor Meron, President of the ICTY, said the Court has accounted for all 162 indicted individuals.

 

Only four trials concerning core statutory crimes remain to be completed. Three will be completed according to the schedule and one case which was originally meant to be completed at the end of December 2014 is now anticipated to be completed by July 2015.

 

The Security Council has set up the Residual Mechanism to take over and finish the remaining tasks of the ICTY once its mandate expires. The branch, located in The Hague, is now operational.

 

In Wednesday’s resolution, the Council requested States to cooperate fully with the ICTY, including by providing all information to assist the Tribunal and the Residual Mechanism.

 

Courtroom 1 of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Photo: ICTY